Shloka 39
Gautama–Śakra Saṃvāda: Karma, Loka-bheda, and the Restoration of the Elephant
धृतराष्ट उवाच शतवर्षजीवी यश्व शूरो मनुष्यो वेदाध्यायी यश्व यज्वाप्रमत्त: । एते सर्वे शक्रलोक॑ व्रजन्ति परं गन्ता धृतराष्ट्रो न तत्र
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | śatavarṣajīvī yaś ca śūro manuṣyo vedādhyāyī yaś ca yajvā apramattaḥ | ete sarve śakralokaṁ vrajanti paraṁ gantā dhṛtarāṣṭro na tatra |
Dhṛtarāṣṭra dijo: «Un hombre que vive cien años, que es heroico, que estudia los Vedas, que es un sacrificador dedicado al rito y que permanece siempre vigilante—todos esos van al mundo de Śakra (Indra). Pero Dhṛtarāṣṭra irá a un reino más alto que ese; no está destinado a ir allí (al mundo de Indra).»
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse links specific disciplines—heroic steadiness, Vedic study, faithful performance of sacrifice, and especially freedom from negligence (apramāda)—with attaining heavenly realms (Indra’s world). It also introduces a hierarchy of destinations, implying that higher spiritual attainments can surpass even the standard ‘heaven of merit’ gained by ritual and virtue.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra speaks about the posthumous destinations of different kinds of virtuous people. He states that those who combine longevity, valor, Vedic learning, sacrificial commitment, and vigilance reach Śakra’s world, while asserting that Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s own destination is higher than Indra’s heaven.